After the Rush
by Crittab
Summary: [AUGUST RUSH] Set duringimmediately after the final scene. How Louis and Lyla should have met Evan, and their conversations afterwards. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: I don't own August Rush. If I did, Jonathan Rhys Meyers would have had at least one, of not several nude scenes... and it wouldn't have ended where it did.

**After the Rush**

They stood there, the three of them, as though they weren't surrounded by thousands of unknowing spectators. Gazing upon the boy for the first time sent chills coursing through Lyla, which matched the chills springing from her hand which was tightly coiled with the man she had missed for so long.

It had been so long.

For a moment she worried: would it be possible for them to be a family? Would the boy, Evan, even want her in his life? Would Louis? She dropped her gaze from the stage to her hand which was warmed by the man next to her, and allowed her eyes to wander up the arm to which it was attached and finally to settle upon his face. His beautiful face. The one which had haunted her every dream for eleven years. She saw him gazing up at the boy on stage. He knew. Even though he had no means of knowing, he just knew. The lights on the stage danced in his clear blue eyes, and a look of wonderment took over his features. His lips parted just slightly. Yes. He knew.

She looked back to the stage, where the song was coming to an end, where her son, at just eleven, was conducting an orchestra through a piece he had composed at Juilliard. She allowed herself a moment to wonder how this all came to be. She met his gaze, and a wide smile found its way to his face. He knew as well. How did this all happen? How can all of these unspoken words be so clearly heard by the three of them?

The song finished. The Dean from Julliard came back on stage, and prompted Evan to take a bow. He did, but his eyes never left Louis and Lyla, hands entwined, holding on and refusing to let go.

Louis looked back to Lyla. She was still perfectly enthralled by the boy on the stage.

"How is this all happening?" she wondered aloud. He tightened his grip.

"The music," he responded softly, "I followed the music. Apparently so did you." His warm tone immediately calmed her, and his familiar accent made her smile. She looked up at him and met his eyes and couldn't fight her grin.

"He's ours," she said softly. He looked at her, a bemused expression. "Our son, Louis. His name is Evan. He's eleven years old. He's ours." Louis looked quickly to the stage, and saw the boy looking back at him. The boy from the park. That connection, that pure and undeniable bond, was real. Was paternal. He couldn't speak. He heavily swallowed down the lump growing in his throat as his eyes met the boys.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, suddenly angry with the woman he'd fought so hard to find. She shook her head.

"I didn't know."

"How do you not know something like that?"

"It's a long story, and I'll tell you, I promise." She looked up to see Evan being ushered off stage by a stagehand in the direction of Richard Jeffries, the aid worker who had helped her to this point. She began walking in that direction, pulling Louis along with her through the crowd as another orchestral number began in the background.

They finally made their way to the side of the stage where they found Evan listening intently to what Jeffries was telling him. When they got there, the boy stared at them in awe a moment.

"Miss Novacek," Jeffries greeted, "meet Evan."

Louis watched as she walked a little closer and kneeled down to see him better. The words were a blur, he could barely understand what was happening. He watched as the boy's face lit up into an ear to ear grin as he jumped to embrace his mother. He stood back a moment and watched the scene. He was brought out of his reverie by the mentioning of his name.

"Is this my father?" Evan asked, looking up at the man he had met earlier in the park. Lyla smiled widely and looked back to Louis who was still standing a few feet away.

"Yea, Evan. This is Louis," she said, motioning for him to come.

"He looks surprised," the boy observed. Louis laughed at this. Suddenly he couldn't stop himself from smiling. He took a few steps forward and kneeled down next to Lyla.

"I am," he said with a little nod, "but I'm so happy." The boy laughed whole heartedly and pulled him into a hug. Louis held on tightly and looked over the boys shoulder at Lyla, who couldn't even begin to stop smiling. Louis grinned at her and held out an arm, welcoming her into the embrace. She laughed lightly through a few tears and encompassed both of them with her arms.

"I knew this would work," Evan whispered. They both backed away slightly to look at him with bemusement.

"Knew what would work?" Lyla asked, tucking a piece of his hair behind his ear.

"The music," he told them. "I knew you'd hear it." Lyla and Louis looked at each other and back to the boy.

"Well how could we possibly miss it with you doing a Julliard concert in the park?" Louis asked, chuckling lightly, remembering his disbelief when the boy first told him he'd be performing there that evening. The three laughed together, all unable to contain their surprise and disbelief.

The night wore on, and the three made their way to a park bench with Jeffries to discuss what would happen next. They were disappointed to learn that they couldn't take him with them that night, but were eager to start the process of adopting their son into their lives.

It was nearly midnight, and the crowds had dispersed, when Jeffries took Evan and left. Louis and Lyla sat on the bench together in the quiet night, reveling in the events that had taken place.

"You never did tell me how all of this came to be," Louis said, his voice soft, as if not wanting to disturb the quiet. Lyla let out a breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"I wanted to meet you at the arch that day, but my father wouldn't let me."

"I saw you leave," he whispered. She nodded.

"I know, I saw you too. So after that my dad and I left town and I found out I was pregnant. I didn't know how to get in touch with you, and when I tried my dad refused to let me. He said you weren't interested in being a father, and I wasn't ready to be a mother. He kept pushing and pushing for me to have an abortion.

Then one night, I was about eight months pregnant, and we were arguing again, this time in a restaurant. He wanted me to put him up for adoption, and I was refusing. I couldn't imagine giving him up. He was a part of me. So I got angry, and I got up and stormed out. I ended up running out into the street like an idiot, and I was hit by a car."

Louis started at this, wishing he could take away all of her pain. He stayed silent though, waiting for the rest of the story.

"So I woke up a few hours later in the hospital. Dad told me I had lost the baby. God, I was devastated. I felt so guilty and so depressed. I just couldn't imagine that I had done that. I went through the next eleven years just kind of wondering what if, and having this empty feeling like I was missing something.

Then a few weeks ago my dad had a heart attack. He was on his death bed, and I don't know, I guess his conscience caught up with him or something, but he told me everything. He said he had forged my signature giving the baby up to the state. I was livid, but I was also determined to find my baby. So I came back here, and started looking, and eventually I found him. Jeffries showed me a picture, and told me he, Evan, was missing. And I guess tonight is just the culmination of all of that." She finished her story with a little nod, feeling like a weight had been lifted. She looked to Louis and saw him with his head down, his hands clasped tightly in front of him.

"Wow," he said a moment later, trying to make sense of it all. He looked up at her and met her eyes, "I'm so sorry, Lyla," he whispered. She looked confused. "For getting upset earlier. It wasn't your fault." She nodded her understanding.

"I would be mad too," she said with a small laugh. She sobered quickly and met his gaze. "I never forgot that night, Louis. I couldn't." He nodded.

"I never will." He smiled lightly. "I love you, Lyla." She grinned widely, unable to contain it.

"I love you too." He reached over, grabbing her hand with his own.

"So I guess this means you weren't on your honeymoon?" he asked, hopeful. She looked up at him, confused.

"What are you talking about?" he just laughed and shook his head.

"Never mind. Just kiss me already," he said. She laughed as his mouth ascended onto hers for the first time in eleven years, the electricity still just as apparent as it had been all that time ago.

Finally, the melodies that just the three of them had heard joined together to make a symphony. A symphony that would bind the family together forever.

---And cheesy endings make the world go round! I just thought this movie was deserving of some fanfic. I'd love to write some more for Louis/Lyla, but there isn't much left to the imagination there, lol. Hope you enjoyed it :) ---


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